CINCINNATI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 9, 2005--Meridian Bioscience, Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio (NASDAQ:VIVO) today announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Viral Antigens, Inc. (VAI) has entered the emerging biodefense market by providing contract services for Biodefense and Emerging Infections (BEI) Resources. BEI Resources was established by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to acquire, authenticate, and produce reagents for scientists to carry out basic research and develop improved diagnostic tests, vaccines, and therapies as tools against potential agents of bioterrorism or organisms that cause emerging diseases such as SARS, West Nile Virus, and Lyme Disease. Viral Antigens’ expertise is in the areas of process development and manufacturing of research biologicals and biopharmaceuticals. VAI is providing contract services to BEI Resources to manufacture certain research biologicals that will be used by the research community to develop new and improved diagnostic tests, vaccines, and therapies.
